1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of packaging. More particularly, the invention concerns a packaging system that indexes a pouch web, packaging web, and base web for forming a preferably elongated bag with an attached pouch enclosing an article such as a merchandising sample. A bag handling mechanism holds and conveys the bags for accumulation into a bundle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a marketing technique, newspapers may be delivered to subscribers in plastic bags configured to include sealed pouches for enclosing articles such as merchandise samples and advertising literature. For efficiency and for the security of the enclosed articles, the articles are sealed in the pouches before the bags are shipped to the newspaper delivery service. The service then inserts the newspapers into the bags for delivery to the subscribers. Such bags and pouches may be used in other delivery schemes, such as enclosing bread or other food items for example.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,268 to Jensen, the bags have been produced using a top web superposed over a bottom web and sealed along one longitudinal edge. The bottom or wide web is then folded to form a bottom edge. The top web is sealed to the folded edge of the bottom strip to form a flap having an opening spaced from the fold. Articles are then inserted through the opening and glued into place at a gluing station. With this technique, top webs of different widths must be carried in inventory to form pockets of different depths for variously sized articles.
A heat sealer then seals the exposed pocket edge to the top web which also seals the top web to the bottom web with the effect of shortening the length of the bag being formed. This requires that the two webs be a sufficient width so that the resulting bag is long enough to hold a newspaper with that portion of the webs below the pocket seal being excess.
In the next stage of the prior art technique, the sides of the bags are sealed and cut. Because of the indexing movement of the webs, an article may shift and interfere with the sealing and cutting. To solve this, the prior art has used adhesive in the pocket to prevent the shifting. In another device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,409 to Jensen, completed bags are filed by a machine which indexes the bags into position, lifts the topmost bag and billows open the pocket, and then introduces an article into the pouch and seals the pouch closed. The device lifts each bag over and across the securing header from a platform to a support plate. Such a mechanism is complicated and necessitates manufacturing a group of bags prior to inserting the articles in the pouches.